Interesting thoughts Mike. As I read your post a thought came to my mind.

I think that jail has produced some great educational outcomes. Look at some of
the worlds leaders who were not quite all together until they spent years in
jail. I just talked to a good friend of mine who just spent five years in a
federal pen. He is a greatly improved individual, and he really did not do
anything bad to get him there either.

I also thought that our numerous military academies have produced some pretty
fine individuals and leaders.

While this does not mean that what you suggest is a "bad" educational
environment I just am not sure I have bought the idea that it is a "good"
educational environment.

In fact I am not sure that "bad" and "good" are appropriate words to even use in
this discussion but please give me some latitude until I figure out better words
to use.

So I am interested if anyone has a definition of a bad educational environment
that is any more than just opinion.

> Outside of extremely bad educational environments, I think that any child
> raised in "a warm, stimulating, egalitarian learning environment" will
> succeed in school.
>
> But what we must ask, given this situation, is what is the optimal,
> developmentally appropriate environment for education. This environment,
> undoubtedly, is the type offered by Sudbury Valley-based schools.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> Mike